The field of the invention pertains to the transfusion of blood, blood components, colloids and other fluids to patients and, in particular, to procedures wherein large quantities of blood may be unavoidably lost from the patient through bleeding. Such losses occur, for example, during liver transplantation and major vascular surgery. Such losses may also occur in response to serious accident or wound.
Pertinent to rapid large quantity infusion are the following related references:
1. Rapid Infusion Device May Untangle Trauma Care, Wellcome Trends in Anesthesiology, Park Row Publishers, Inc., Vol. 3, No. 4, August 1985. PA1 2. Kang, Yoo Goo, M.D., Martin, Douglas J., M.D., Marquez, Jose, M.D., Lewis, Jessica H., M.D., et al. Intraoperative Changes in Blood Coagulation and Thromboelastographic Monitoring in Liver Transplantation. Anesth Analg 64:888-96, 1985. PA1 3. Estrin, J. A., Belani, K. G., Karnava, A. G., Petersen, R. J., Leonard, A. S., Buckley, J. J.: A New Approach to Massive Blood Transfusion During Pediatric Liver Resection. Surgery 664-70, June, 1986. PA1 4. Jeretin, S.: Dilemmas in Anesthesiology. Acta. Chir. Iugol., 27 Suppl. 2, 13-8. 1980. PA1 5. Winter, P. M., Kang, Y. G. Hepatic Transplantation, Praeger Publishers, New York, N.Y., 1986.
There also have recently been marketed a RAPID INFUSION SYSTEM from Haemonetics Corporation of 400 Wood Road, Braintree, MA 02184.
Unfortunately, the infusion apparatus available tends to be difficult to control and monitor when large scale rapid infusion is attempted. The apparatus is also difficult to transport and to clean and sterilize. To overcome the disadvantages of the current available infusion apparatus the applicant has developed and experimentally tested the infuser disclosed below.